Williams College Admits 1,163 Students to Class of 2022

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., March 16, 2018— Williams College has extended offers of admission to 1,163 applicants for the Class of 2022. They were selected from a total applicant pool of 9,559.

“The incredible strength of the pool made selection especially competitive, but we are thrilled with the results,” Richard Nesbitt, director of admission, stated. “While the academic power of this group is impressive, their notable talents in co-curricular areas will enrich the community at large.”

Of the admitted students, 103 are international students representing 53 different nationalities. Among American students, 50 percent identify as students of color: 220 students are Asian American, 187 are black, 165 Latino, and 13 Native American. Thirty-six percent identify as white and four percent opted not to identify. Twenty-three percent are first-generation college students, and eight percent have a parent who attended Williams. A total of 505 identify as men, 578 as women, seven identify as trans or transgender, two as non-binary, one as two spirit, one as genderqueer, and one as another identity. Sixty-eight did not respond to an optional question about gender identity (but did answer a required binary question that appears on the application).

Admitted students living in the U.S. represent the following geographic regions: 28 percent hail from the Mid-Atlantic; 18 percent from the West; 14 percent from the Northeast; 14 percent from the South; nine percent from the Midwest; and six percent from the Southwest. Two students come from Puerto Rico, and one student is from Saipan. Eleven percent are currently living overseas.

The admitted students represent 877 high schools, and their academic profile is exceptional. Average scores on the SAT are 733 in evidence-based reading and writing and 747 in math. The average super-scored ACT is a 33. Ninety-four percent of the students who submitted high school rank are projected to graduate in the top 10 percent of their class.

The students possess a remarkable range of perspectives and interests, both academic and co-curricular, that are as varied as their bios. The admitted class includes talented visual and performing artists, athletes, student government representatives, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and community leaders and activists.

The college has long been committed to admitting the most qualified and compelling students from across the socioeconomic spectrum. Among those admitted to the Class of 2022, nearly 20 percent are affiliated with a community-based organization focused on college access. Of that group, 267 students are affiliated with QuestBridge, an organization with which Williams has partnered since 2004 to identify high-achieving, low-income high school students. Additionally, 125 students admitted to the Class of 2022 participated in Windows on Williams, a selective, college-sponsored program that provides high school students from low-income backgrounds the opportunity to visit campus during the fall of their senior year.

Williams’ strong financial aid program is critically important in encouraging outstanding students to apply. Sixty-nine percent of admitted students applied for financial aid. Admission decisions are need-blind for U.S. students, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of every student. Williams students graduate with debt levels that are among the lowest in the country.

Students who choose to come to Williams say they were attracted by its academic reputation, size, academic facilities, and the attractiveness of the campus, in addition to the personal attention and co-curricular opportunities it offers.

The target size for the Class of 2022 is 550 students, as it was last year. Two hundred sixty-five applicants were admitted to the class through the QuestBridge Match program and early decision, and another 13 will join the class after taking a gap year. The remaining admitted students received their acceptances on March 15 and have until May 1 to decide whether to enroll. All accepted students are invited to attend the Williams Previews program held on April 23 and 24 to explore the college and meet many of their future classmates.

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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students’ educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions on U.S. applicants are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.